1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to retail display units and more particularly to a clip strip which incorporates a flexible clip.
2. The Prior Art
Relevant prior art includes numerous devices among which are the devices shown in the following U.S. Patents.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,291,810 to Rubinstein shows a retaining assembly for packages which has a hollow support member having a front opening and a mounting bracket near the opening. A V-shaped clip has a back leg which passes through the opening and is compressed against a back wall of the support member. The clip includes a front member which is mounted pivotally on a mounting bracket. A front leg of the mounting bracket extends beyond the pivot point and is clamped against the support member by the back leg.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,573,590 to Ellis shows a clip strip display unit which has a row of flexible spring clips mounted on a vertical unit. The vertical unit includes a pair of oppositely directed flexible brackets which are proportioned to engage an edge of a shelf.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,096,070 to Jaynes shows a clip strip which incorporates a series of upwardly directed fingers which are designed to engage a hole in a bag of items to be supported. Adjacent each finger there is a pair of downwardly directed flaps which extend over a top of the bag and secure an upper edge of the bag to a backing sheet.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,461,387 to Belokin, Jr. shows an elongated steel support member which has a plurality of clips formed along its length. The clips are punched from the support member and are formed with an arcuate spring-like portion attached to the support member. An integral spring clip support assembly includes a base which holds a pair of support members in a vertical position. A wedging plug is inserted in the base and engages the support member to hold it tightly in the base.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,115,921 to Lavelle shows a display unit which includes an upright standard and branches carried by the standard end projecting laterally therefrom. The branches incorporate clips with each clip having a pair of jaws and a coil spring which urges the jaws toward a closed position.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,199,578 to Pendergraph et al. shows a display assembly which has a vertically disposed elongated planar strip of synthetic resin. A multiplicity of incisions are spaced along the strip with each incision having a pair of spaced, vertically extending legs and a transverse head portion. The incisions form upwardly extending tabs which are hinged to the planar strips. The tabs have horizontally extending ears which facilitate lodging the tabs in hanger apertures formed in blister cards.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,553,721 to Gebka shows a display unit made of plastic sheet which has W-shaped slits defining central fingers pointing to one end of the strip for suspending apertured products and outer fingers for suspending slotted products.
U.S. Design Pat. No. Des. 309,252 to Crowley shows a clip strip in which a plurality of clips are formed on a planar substrate by forming a plurality of W-shaped incisions in the substrate.
Despite developments of the prior art, there remains a need for a spring clip display unit which is economical to manufacture, easy to clean and which can be used easily to display merchandise which has apertures and also merchandise which does not have apertures.